Chicago Bulls general manager John Paxson didn't travel with the team Tuesday to New Jersey, where the Bulls open the season tonight against the Nets.

Paxson was busy at home, apparently working on trade negotiations with the Los Angeles Lakers for Kobe Bryant. But those talks seemed to have lost some intensity. Los Angeles Lakers vice president Magic Johnson said the deal isn't going to happen.

''A deal can't get done because they won't include [Luol] Deng,'' Johnson said Tuesday on TNT. ''And without Deng, a deal can't get done.''
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Unfortunately, there's a huge deal-breaker in any Kobe Bryant to the Chicago Bulls deal: Luol Deng.

The Bulls are adamant about keeping him. The Los Angeles Lakers won't consider a deal without him. However, if the Lakers get Deng and Ben Gordon, Bryant may not want to go there and try to win with what's left.
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Might Kobe Bryant be in the Chicago Bulls' starting lineup when they open the regular season Wednesday at the New Jersey Nets?

A source confirmed Saturday that the Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers talked trade last week but denied that the sides were close to sealing a deal.

Reportedly, the Lakers asked for Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, an asking price both the Bulls and Bryant would reject as weakening the team too much.
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Those are some very good and young players LA want's for Kobe. Would you do it? I did not know how great they have Deng "projected" to be. I am not a Kobe fan but i am the first one to say he has the most talent in the nba. He can create a shot going one on five. Jordan could, Lebron can and even Wade can. Duncan has to have a point guard but he is dominant and the smartest in the nba. I have noticed in Kobe, his will to win, when he is mad or when he want's to flat out play is unbelievable. I remember Jordan this way, scorring 50 or 60 and he was the only one on his team and he would lose to the Celts but he thought he could beat them and he would not quit. Kobe is this way and yes he shot about 50 times last night but he is an amazing talent.

I do not blame LA asking for all these players and it is going to be interesting to see if Chicago gives in and gets him. Hinrich would work reat with Kobe. Ben Wallace getting rebounds for Kobe would work great also. Nocioni would be good. This is where it gets sticky. If no Gordon, Thomas, Deng and a work horse Noah, then who else fills in? I do think Kobe is this good and he will fight you to the last second to win and not many players will, most will quit. It would be a knock down drag out between the Bulls and Celts in the east but they are very good and talented now and deep. They are also young and do not have a Kobe. Can one man take over and be dominant on that team and get them past the hump now?

I would try to get Kobe if i was them and give up Deng but keep one of these guys, Noah, Thomas or Gordon and throw another in. I think Kobe will try to average 40 to 50 a night untill a trade happens. One pproblem Chicago has, being young, they have no ball hog or a man to take the game over. They play team ball but no one to say give me the ball, i will score. This is also alot being young.

MavsX

10-31-2007, 09:36 PM

yikes!

craggmac

10-31-2007, 11:37 PM

Yes

rmacomic

11-01-2007, 12:53 AM

Hell no.
I also wouln't give up Bynum for Garnet or Kidd.

Janett_Reno

11-01-2007, 01:07 AM

That is alot of young talent but Kobe is alot of player also. Big Kobe contract and you have to live with his baggage.

rmacomic

11-01-2007, 02:21 AM

That is alot of young talent but Kobe is alot of player also. Big Kobe contract and you have to live with his baggage.
Wow its like you are speaking some secret language that twins use between each other, I'd say speak English, but hell meet us halfway and speak Earth.

MavsX

11-01-2007, 07:29 AM

i didn't know that kobe's contract has a clause, where he can ask for 70% of his salary up front...

Dirkenstien

11-01-2007, 08:52 AM

i didn't know that kobe's contract has a clause, where he can ask for 70% of his salary up front...

Wish I had that clause in my salary.

mcsluggo

11-01-2007, 10:26 AM

Ronald McDonald is 6'5" ??!

Who knew?

MavsX

11-01-2007, 10:31 AM

Wish I had that clause in my salary.

no way!, cause then you blow your whole wad the first month...so to speak

AxdemxO

11-01-2007, 02:12 PM

Honestly I wouldnt. Because I am one of few on here tht believe tht Kobe cant lead his team anywhere. But how did this trade make sense for them in the first place if they only get Ron and Ben

bernardos70

11-01-2007, 02:51 PM

Kobe's contract is ridiculous: He can get paid upfront on the 1st of July, something like 80% of his salary, he has a no trade clause, he has an early-opt out option....... perhaps the most biased contract towards a player ever. He has all the leverage in it.

skylive321

11-01-2007, 03:07 PM

e go to a deng-less and gordon less bulls team

me770706

11-01-2007, 03:26 PM

can't give up deng, it would be the trio of him kobe and sefalosha doing the majority of the scoring. the lakers, on the other hand, should have traded bynum for kidd or o'neal. that is if they really wanted to keep kobe

Janett_Reno

11-01-2007, 08:19 PM

These rumors are getting crazy and proably if they are talking about them so much, then maybe nothing will happen. I was just reading this.

According to the Chicago Tribune one of the many trade rumors involving Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers this week, included the Phoenix Suns, who wanted to gauge the Bulls' interest in trading Thabo Sefolosha and other considerations as part of a package to send Bryant to the Bulls and likely Shawn Marion to the Lakers.

The Suns were set to draft Sefolosha in 2006, but general manager John Paxson swung a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, who had picked Sefolosha at No. 13.

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Then here is another...

The Kobe Bryant saga produced another flurry of rumors in Chicago Wednesday. Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson is expected to address the Bryant-Bulls rumors today.

According to the Chicago Tribune, one report had Ben Gordon and a signed-and-traded P.J. Brown moving to the Sacramento Kings, with Ron Artest and Ben Wallace going to the Los Angeles Lakers and Bryant coming to Chicago. The Bulls and Kings did talk last week, but the dialogue didn't progress far and now has little momentum.

The Tribune reported Paxson continued to explore ways to land Bryant. But as has been mentioned frequently, he won't gut his roster to do so, and he doesn't want to part with Deng.

General manager John Paxson basically squashed the notion that the Los Angeles Lakers' superstar will wind up in Chicago, saying the teams were never on the verge of a deal and talks were over for now.

"There's not a deal done," he said Thursday. "There's not going to be a deal done. All the things that were out there were really unfair to all of us who were trying to do our jobs. The misinformation ... I think gets in the way of the process. It's just such a complicated thing and we kind of put it to rest now."

Paxson said they discussed "parameters," but the sides "never got down to the nuts and bolts of it because there was never a deal to be done."

"That's the reality of it," he said. "People can make what they want of it, but what I know is that part of it is over with."
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It will be many rumors and i figure Chicago was the easiest place for them to make a Kobe deal but it looks like the Lakers are going to ask for alot and i can' blame them. The Bulls are sitting good if they choose to get Kobe or just stay with what they have. They have a good young team.

Dtownsfinest

11-02-2007, 02:47 AM

Its not giving up Deng for Kobe. Its including Deng in a deal for Kobe. I'd do a Deng and Gordon trade for Kobe. Its a good deal for both parties. That's the best deal the Bulls are going to get. Two potential young all stars for the best player in the league. Bulls are in a situation where they have young talent but Kobe puts them over the top. I'm not sure what else they'd have to give up because I doubt Deng and Gordon equal Kobe's contract but a team of Kobe, Nocioni, Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas and Ben Wallace can't compete for the Eastern Conference Championship?

Janett_Reno

11-02-2007, 03:25 AM

I agree Dtown, if it was Deng and a Gordon and a throw in with those two. Both Deng and Gordon are good but we know Kobe is great. The Lakers even wanted Thomas and Noah with Deng and Gordon and this is where i would say no to the Lakers. Deng and Gordon give them two nice players for years to come and get another player or two but not Thomas and Noah.

Remember i am not a Kobe fan but i do feel that Chicago would compete for the eastern conference championship with Kobe and giving up Deng and Gordon. They say Thabo Sefolosha is good and i feel Andres Nocioni is a good all around player. Let Ben Wallace, Noah get lot's of rebounds for these shooters and i feel Noah can score some on the inside. Tyrus Thomas is also a good player but i bet the Lakers won't do it unless the Bulls throw in either Thomas or Noah and get the contracts right. That would be a close call for me.

It would be a good match up against the Celtics and a war. I know we can never count Detroit or Miami out either and alot say NJ is good this year and healthy.

I_am_Queens_Blvd

11-02-2007, 08:36 PM

I'd give up Deng in a deal for Kobe. I'd probably throw in a shiny new Cadillac with some D's on it just to sweeten the deal.

Dtownsfinest

11-03-2007, 01:46 AM

I agree Dtown, if it was Deng and a Gordon and a throw in with those two. Both Deng and Gordon are good but we know Kobe is great. The Lakers even wanted Thomas and Noah with Deng and Gordon and this is where i would say no to the Lakers. Deng and Gordon give them two nice players for years to come and get another player or two but not Thomas and Noah.

Remember i am not a Kobe fan but i do feel that Chicago would compete for the eastern conference championship with Kobe and giving up Deng and Gordon. They say Thabo Sefolosha is good and i feel Andres Nocioni is a good all around player. Let Ben Wallace, Noah get lot's of rebounds for these shooters and i feel Noah can score some on the inside. Tyrus Thomas is also a good player but i bet the Lakers won't do it unless the Bulls throw in either Thomas or Noah and get the contracts right. That would be a close call for me.

It would be a good match up against the Celtics and a war. I know we can never count Detroit or Miami out either and alot say NJ is good this year and healthy.

Yea Noah and Thomas is going too far. One but not the other and i'd have to get a role player in return from the Lakers. I'm not sure why they are so attached to Bynum but i'd go for him just because they hold him in such high regard.

Janett_Reno

11-03-2007, 10:46 PM

I am not sure when and if Chicago will panic but they are off to a bad start. It is early but Kobe actually went into Phx and beat Nash.

The Bulls could say ok, let's talk and get a vet on our team that can score and lead a team. It might have taken a bad slow start for the Bulls to really take notice.

RePLAY

11-04-2007, 12:13 PM

BUlls are dumb to NOT give up Deng for Kobe. Kobe in the EASt would be a monster and would have a better supporting cast in the Bulls.

Lets see whut happens now since BUlls lost 3 and Lakers whoooped on the Suns.

horse900703

11-04-2007, 01:41 PM

hell no!!!!!!!!!! kobe is better!!!! 81 points last year!!!!!!!!!!

AxdemxO

11-04-2007, 03:32 PM

Chicago should get it together because all tht stuff was a distraction and I still wouldnt give up Deng for Kobe

Janett_Reno

11-24-2007, 05:13 PM

Talking about painful. The Bulls are 2 and 9 while the Lakers are 7 and 5. No one on the team looks like they even care to win except Nocioni. That was a player that almost got away and i think Ben Wallace does rebound. Now Deng is banged up.

I am not sure if Kobe wants to leave the Lakers now but the Bulls look bad. It has been a little buzz about Gasol going to the Bulls also, to give them inside scorring. It will be interesting if the Bulls play all season and not make any changes or if they will. I think Gordon may be hurt also.

Janett_Reno

11-24-2007, 05:19 PM

I wish the Mavs had Andres Nocioni and could make him a 6'7" shooting guard. The guy has talent and he has alot of heart and sort of reminds me of Josh Howard how he battles.

alby

11-24-2007, 06:47 PM

Bulls will come around and win about 47-49 games accompanied by a second round loss

rabbitproof

11-25-2007, 03:25 PM

This question is about as intelligent as...

For dinner, would you give up Dung (poop) for Kobe (steak)?

Pun me.

Tokey41

11-25-2007, 04:14 PM

Do you think Kobe would veto a trade there now? They just seem to suck... it's weird. I guess thats what happens when you rely that much on jumpers.

As for trading Deng for Kobe... is that a serious question?

Next on the discussion would you trade Dirk for Sebastian Telfair?

alby

11-25-2007, 04:38 PM

it's not only Deng, the question is whether you would include Deng in a trade for Kobe.

ty

11-26-2007, 12:09 AM

Yes. /thread.

Janett_Reno

11-26-2007, 12:18 AM

After seeing what i have seen, now i would say yes i would include Deng. I say get Kobe in Chicago and he will help them.